My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Seeded Part 5
Not just the common people, but also members of high-ranking families, seasoned sages, and other participants were fixated on her.

They all shared the same burning question: Who was she?

Lucia, sitting quietly, felt the weight of a thousand curious eyes on her. She adjusted her posture, trying to appear calm, but her hands betrayed her, fidgeting in her lap.

“Who is she?” whispered a participant from the House of Oren, a noble family known for their prodigious magic users. His companion shrugged, eyes still locked on her.

“Maybe she’s his partner?” a sage suggested, though the uncertainty in his voice was obvious.

The murmurs grew louder as speculation spread like wildfire. Her identity became the centerpiece of every conversation.

Finally, she moved, her hands steady as she reached for the edges of her mask. Slowly, she pulled it away, revealing her face to the crowd.

Gasps filled the arena, followed by silence. Whispers spread quickly, each one louder than the last. But no one was more shocked than her own family.

They jumped up from their seats, their faces filled with disbelief and confusion.

How had she, of all people, managed to get someone like Asher on her side? Their minds raced, struggling to understand.

“Is that… Lucia?” may of her relatives stammered, their eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

“It can’t be,” another muttered, shaking their head.

The shock hit them hard, breaking their usual composed demeanor. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Don’t worry about them. They can’t touch you as long as I’m here,” Asher reassured her.

When she looked into his eyes, she couldn’t help but trust his words.

His steady gaze and calm tone melted away her fears, filling her with a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in a long time.

With that, she turned to face her family with more confidence, keeping her eyes locked on theirs. Her unblinking stare only made her relatives angrier.

The tension hung in the air until it was finally shattered by the start of the tournament.

The arena buzzed with excitement as two sorcerers prepared to face off, each with their own unique style of arcane arts. The crowd fell silent, waiting for the first move.

The ground beneath them crackled with energy as both participants summoned their spells, their hands glowing with power.

One sorcerer, known for his mastery of elemental fire, conjured a wall of flames that surged forward like a tidal wave. The heat was intense, but the other responded by raising a powerful torrent of water to douse the flames.

The magnitude of their attacks was on a whole different level, far surpassing the power of the serpent that Asher fought before.

When heat met water, it created a massive explosion, sending a thick mist swirling around the entire arena.

Then—

Explosion after explosion echoed through the air as the two combatants clashed. It was a tight battle, with each sorcerer pushing their powers to the limit.

In the end, it was the water sorcerer who emerged victorious, using ice in a surprising move to freeze his opponent, catching him off guard.

The crowd erupted in applause as the battle concluded.

However, the sorcerers from Eryx shook their heads in disappointment.

To the untrained eye, the battle might have seemed impressive, but to them, it lacked the elegance and complexity they were used to.

It was like watching two monkeys fighting to see who had the bigger stick—brute force and simple tricks, rather than the refined, strategic spells they expected from true sorcerers.

The second match followed the same pattern, and so did the third.

Some of the seeded participants even started yawning, their boredom showing.

As expected, none of the outsiders posed any real threat. They were merely obstacles in the path of the true competition—themselves.

And, of course, there was Asher, the man who effortlessly stole the spotlight with his mere presence.

The wolfkin, who had been trying to pick a fight with Asher before, sneered and spoke up.

“Lucia, I never thought you’d actually have the guts to show up here,” he chuckled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

She flinched, her hands trembling instinctively. She knew exactly who this wolfkin was—Reynard. He was notorious for his hot-headed nature, but no one could deny his talent.

One of the few in Eryx who had mastered close-quarter spell casting to a high level, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Many had even considered adding a new title under the Great Sage rank to recognize sorcerers like him, who specialized in body enhancement and close-quarter spell casting.

“Are you mute? Why aren’t you answering?” Reynard barked, pressuring her.

Before she could answer, Asher spoke up. “Stop bothering her.”

“Oh, what’s this? Are you protecting your lover? Did she use her body to fool you?” Reynard chuckled.

Her face reddened, not just from the sting of his words, but from the feeling of being humilated in front of so many.

The other seeded contestants, though silent, couldn’t hide their smirks

Lucia’s stomach twisted, the laughter echoing in her ears like a cruel reminder of her place. She felt small, vulnerable, the weight of their judgment pressing down on her.

Asher saw the humiliation and sadness in her eyes. To think that her trauma from this place ran so deep, that even defending herself was huge hurdle.

“Our relationship is none of your business,” Asher’s responded bluntly.

Reynard clutched his stomach, laughing loud enough for everyone to hear.

His voice was filled with mockery as he leaned into the insult. “So, you’re admitting it? That you’re in a relationship?”

He grinned, eyes glinting with malice. “I can’t believe you actually sleep with an experiment like her. But, then again, you’re an outsider. Guess it’s not surprising you have such… poor taste.”

His words were sharp, a deliberate attempt to provoke both the two.

“I don’t want to waste my time on idiots,” Asher gave a small, dismissive shake of his head.

“What did you say?!” Reynard snapped.

His fists clenched, muscles rippling under his clothes. Just as he was about to unleash his aura, a sudden cold shiver ran down his spine. His instincts screamed at him, and his body froze for a split second.

When he looked up, his eyes met the serene, calculating smile of the Arcane Sage.

His muscles tensed, and with a reluctant growl, he slowly sank back into his chair.

It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. There was no mistaking it. Asher had become the center of her attention, and Reynard could only grit his teeth in jealousy.

If he wanted to avoid trouble, he knew what needed to be done. He would kill Asher during the tournament, in front of everyone. That way, Lizana couldn’t protect him.

She would have to accept that he was just another casualty of the competition.

“You’re dead meat. I’ll rip you apart later,” Reynard grumbled aloud.

Asher didn’t even spare him a glance. He was a man of action, not one to waste time on empty words.

And for the first time in a long while, he felt excited. He couldn’t wait to finally put the wolfkin in his place.